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Shelter Access Workgroup 2012
MESSAGE FROM HOPE OFFICE: 10/22/12 Thank you all for your participation in the first phase of the Shelter Access Workgroup. I am pleased to share with you the final recommendations submitted to Supervisor Kim today. As stated in the document, we will be working with City Departments to create a workplan to update the community on implementation of the recommendations. This will be shared publicly on or before November 19th. I also invite you to participate in our next phase of the Shelter Access Workgroup, kicking off on November 19th at 3pm at 201 Turk Street. This phase will focus on improving outcomes within the shelter system. Our first meeting will focus on creating an outline and goals for process, so please invite your colleagues and interested community members to participate. If you’d like to add anyone to this distribution list, please let me know. MESSAGE FROM HOPE OFFICE 7-24-12...In an effort to solicit more feedback from homeless individuals, we are postponing the Shelter Access Workgroup meetings on July 30th and August 6th. We are planning a number of community meetings and focus groups at shelters and resource centers to solicit input on recommendations to date. This feedback will then be incorporated into our consensus discussions at upcoming Workgroup meetings. The next Workgroup meeting will now be on August 20th from 2-5. After that, we will meet on August 27th from 2-5 and September 10th from 2-5. All remaining meetings will be held at 201 Turk Street, between Leavenworth and Jones. Please check http://www.sfgov3.org/index.aspx?page=3636for agendas, minutes and other relevant information. This page is for the SF Homeless community (including government, stakeholders, public, and of course resource users) to access all information available regarding the current Shelter Access Work Group meetings. As a wiki this page is meant to be edited and updated by any member of the community so long as the info added is helpful and not mean-spirited. The government representatives have stated that they will monitor this wiki page for feedback left by users. The wiki system for feedback is to edit the TALK page and add your comments below the existing comments without erasing previous entries. As time goes on and additional methods for leaving feedback becomes necessary, links will be provided and info given on how to leave feedback in other places besides the wiki. General Information Supervisor Kim passed a resolution urging the Director of HOPE to convene a working group to develop a series of recommendations on how the City can improve access to the single adult shelter system, improve programming within the shelter and explore opportunities to better assess the health needs of clients. The workgroup will be co-convened by the Mayor’s Office of HOPE (Housing Opportunity, Partnerships and Engagements), The Local Homeless Coordinating Board and the Shelter Monitoring Committee. Meetings will be facilitated by Andrea Shorter. The process will be convened in several phases: i) Shelter Access ii) Improving programming / health / outcomes within shelters All workgroup meetings will be public, accessible, and transparent. The process will be designed to include concurrent outreach to stakeholders in drop-in centers, shelters, city agencies, and service provider organizations. This outreach may include meetings; surveys; open-door sessions with Bevan Dufty (Director of HOPE) and Supervisor Kim; focus groups at drop-in centers and shelters; and feedback via social media. Recommendations will be forwarded to Supervisor Kim through a consensus process, with inclusion of feedback received during meetings and through the outreach process. The first phase of the workgroup, shelter access, will begin in June. The second phase, as of yet not scheduled, will address health needs of shelter clients, and shelter programming, as well as other issues that were not addressed, but arose in phase one. The goal of each meeting will be to discuss certain topics/themes related to shelter access. The group will create draft recommendations at the end of each meeting. Recommendations will come from consensus. Questions? Please call Amanda Fried at 554-6881, or Amanda.fried@sfgov.org June 4 meeting 2-4pm, Tenderloin Rec Center at 570 Ellis Street. Introduction Minutes too long to copy text onto wiki page -- click below to download a pdf copy of the minutes. If a summary of minutes/recommendations exists, it will be copied to this page later. Minutes from June 4 meeting - 11 page pdf - 149k June 11 meeting 2-4pm, Born Auditorium, 170 Otis Street Moving Beyond Lines Recommendations/Minutes from June 11 meeting Shelter Access Work Group June 11 Meeting Recommendations: Consensus Discussions: Implement a lottery with good agreed upon principles: • About 50% agree • 2 people object • About 50% say they need more information Preserve human interactions—ensure any new system is not only available online or via phone. • consensus Decentralize and increase access to the shelter reservation systems, including: 311, resource centers, hospitals, shelters—make sure this process does not require a cell phone or computer skills, and decentralize and increase access to confirm reservations, including: 311, resource centers, hospitals, shelters-- no cell required, post the results in the shelters, and make sure that getting information about • Mostly consensus • 3 objections: all concerned that shelter users will have less control if the system is not first-come, first serve (including 1 assumed dissent based on comments at previous meeting) Allow clients to state a preference of shelter placements at the time of reservation • Mostly consensus • 1 objection Other Recommendations: • Resource Center Recommendations: o 24/7 resource centers (coed) III o To save money for shelter, do not expand resource centers o Keep resource centers open • Pre-Implementation Recommendations: o Study of the location preferences of certain communities. For example, do Spanish speakers only seek shelter in the Mission District? o Study technology access and technology fluency amongst current users o Do a survey of current shelter residents o Do a lottery pilot and evaluation, while maintaining the drop in system o Conduct focus groups of clients to get more clarity between the current system and proposed changes in client responses • Phone and Computer Access Recommendations: o Re-install payphones throughout the city o Connect the 311 system to community voicemail o Create basic computer skills training for homeless adults o Connect clients to the basic computer skills training at the library o Distribute free cell phones to all people over 55 (or homeless people over 55) o Do not spend money on free cell phones • 311 Recommendations o Transparent accessible ADA review of 311. o Create a 311 for homeless people only o Improve the language capacity of 311 o Ensure a real person answers the calls on 311 • Data and Information Recommendations o Track and create city-wide turn away reports o Use existing personal identifiers-- not a new confirmation or ID number • Lottery Recommendations o Prioritize people who have been repeated "losers" in the lottery o Create a system for people who refuse a 1 night bed o Implement a later conversion time. At 12:00pm or 1:00pm convert the reservation to a bed to accommodate people who do not get up early • Shelter System Recommendations o Reduce the number of care not cash beds-- redirect to reservations o Create clear policies for treatment of special populations to ensure no one gets special treatment o Allow nights away/late passes o Transition from fingerprint tracking to arm band tracking with a simple red and green color code July 9 meeting 2-4pm, Born Auditorium, 170 Otis Street Shelter reservation allocation Agenda: · Presentation about how shelter reservations are allocated/utilized · Discussion of access to vulnerable populations: seniors, disabled, re-entry, discharged from medical system, recovery, etc. Who needs access to the shelter system? What are the alternatives to shelter for medically fragile populations? · Overview of other systems used to allocate reservations (including past SF experience) · Create Draft Recommendations – Shelter Reservation Allocation ''For agendas and minutes, please visit: ''http://www.sfgov3.org/index.aspx?page=3636 July 23 meeting 2-4pm, Born Auditorium, 170 Otis Street Transportation and Barriers July 30 meeting MEETING CANCELLED!! August 6, 2012 MEETING CANCELLED!! August 20, 2012 201 Turk (NEW LOCATION!), 2:00 PM-5:00 PM August 27, 2012 201 Turk (NEW LOCATION!) 2:00 PM-5:00 PM September 10, 2012 201 Turk (NEW LOCATION!) 2:00 PM-5:00 PM Feedback To leave Feedback, go to the Talk page and Edit that page to leave your comments.